1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image output devices which select a desired image from among a plurality of images stored beforehand and outputs the selected image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when various letters of invitation/materials for presentation are created by a document processor such as a word processor or a personal computer, images related to the contents of documents to be created are inserted into the respective documents to render the letters of invitation, etc., full of expression, so as to have an increased persuasive force/delightfulness. To this end, various image data is stored beforehand in an unchangeable manner in the document processor. The user outputs desired image data from among the stored data in one of the following conventional manners:
(1) The user selects a desired file name from among a displayed list of file names each given to each image data stored on a file-per-image basis; PA1 (2) The user selects a desired image from among various actually displayed image candidates; and PA1 (3) The user selects any one of the names of classifications into which various image data is classified beforehand, causes a list of file names corresponding to the selected name of classification to be displayed and selects a desired file name from among the displayed list. PA1 image storage means for storing image data for each of a plurality of image numbers; PA1 character string storage means for storing character string data in correspondence to each of the image numbers; PA1 document storage means for storing document data; PA1 retrieval means for retrieving the document data to locate character string data coinciding with the character string data contained in the document data among the plurality of character string data stored in the character string storage means; PA1 extraction means for extracting from the image storage means image data corresponding to an image number which corresponds to the located character string data in accordance with the image number; and PA1 output means for outputting the image data extracted by the extraction means along with the document data.
When the user outputs an image, he beforehand knows an effective image to be inserted. In the above method (1), however, it is difficult for the user to imagine an image intuitively from the language of a file name alone. As a result, images must be output many times before a desired one which satisfies the user is located, resulting in much undesirably spent labor and time.
In the above method (2), image candidates are displayed actually and hence the user is able to immediately determine which image is satisfactory. However, if there are many images, the display screen must be switched many times, so that much labor and time would be spent before a desired image which satisfies the user is located, as in the above method (1).
In the above method (3), images are classified so that the contents of the list of file names are narrowed to some extent by selection of the name of a classification. One image is put in a classification area according to this method. For example, assume that an illustration where there are coconut trees in a sandy beach, yachts floating in the distance, and gigantic columns of clouds floating in the sky corresponds to a classification "Summer". Even if the user tries to select an illustration of a scene in which yachts float, he cannot output that illustration as long as he does not select "Summer" as the classification name. Thus, this method is not necessarily an efficient one.